From just R15k to 6 million SA socks. Plus: A storm at Afrimat

Afrimat CEO Andries van Heerden joins Bruce to unpack the group’s toughest six months since listing in 2006. Soaring shipping rates, a stronger rand, a mine reaching the end of its life and ferrochrome smelter shutdowns pushed the market darling into a loss, but he argues the way through is clear, even if the timing isn’t. Jurgens Uys, co-founder of Versus Socks, talks about turning R15 000 and a Stellenbosch garage into six million pairs of socks sold in 80 countries, while surviving cash-flow crunches and supply-chain gaps along the way. It’s a masterclass in starting small, staying focused and knowing when to attack. News24 Business editor Helena Wasserman unpacks Sanlam’s R21 billion bid for the rest of Santam, the Competition Commission’s unprecedented bid to unwind Premier Foods’ takeover of Rhodes Food Group, and a new opt-out registry that could curb the nine billion spam calls South Africans get each quarter. And Dion Gouws of Credo in London discusses whether Ray Dalio is right about an AI bubble, why AQR’s Cliff Asness disagrees, and why staying invested in equities still makes sense when markets feel wobbly. This podcast is sponsored by Capitec.To catch every episode, click the follow and subscribe buttons on News24’s Spotify, Apple, and YouTube podcast channels, or catch up on past episodes here. Editions drop on Thursdays at 17:00.